Fixing Georgia After Brutal Offseason Will Be Kirby Smart's Biggest Test Yet

Kirby Smart and Georgia have gone almost the entire week without one bit of good news as it pertains to their outlook for the 2020 season. Already accepting that offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and running back D'Andre Swift are gone, Smart now has to deal with the fact that quarterback Jake Fromm is going pro and offensive lineman Cade Mays will transfer.

Smart is basically going to have to build a completely new offense, and 5-11, 190-pound backup QB Stetson Bennett is suddenly projected to be the starting quarterback. The sky isn't falling, but the situation is far from stable. This year, we'll find out how much of a coach and program-builder Smart really is.

Can Smart recruit? Yes, he's one again got a top-five class. Can he coach defense? Yes, Georgia has one of the deepest units in the country at all levels. Can he win? Yes, he's won the SEC East for three straight seasons. Can he replace the entire left side of the offensive line, a running back, and a quarterback, all the while banking on his receiving corps to improve? This is an uncomfortable bulk of questions to have to answer in one offseason.

For the first time since Mark Richt left, Smart might have something of a rebuild on his hands. Teams like Florida and even Tennessee will be eyeing Georgia's SEC East crown in the coming years, and nothing short of a coaching masterclass is needed to keep the Bulldogs at the top of the heap in their conference.